House of Blades
by Confucius
Summary: A Sword wielding Naruto who dislikes using ninjutsu. He must work with the Hidden Leaf in order to find the person who destroyed his organization. Would he accept the Leaf even after they abandoned him? X-Over Final Fantasy. [NaruTen]
1. The Man With The Fireseal

House of Blades

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Italics: Thoughts

Chapter 1 – The Man with the Fireseal

Thirteen years after the incident with Kyuubi, Konoha met another disaster. The Hidden Sound and Sand Village combined forces under Orochimaru and invaded the Hidden Leaf Village. Konoha suffered a huge blow on that day and has not been able to get back on its feet. The reason behind their current dismay is due to insufficient funds. The Leaf had no money to rebuild or pay its ninjas for their continued services. Many lords and businesses began to turn away from Konoha and set their eyes on other ninja villages and organizations. One such organization that benefited from the Leaf's tragic event was the House of Blades.

By orders of the Fifth Hokage, Shikamaru was to lead a team to recover a priceless gem that would save Konoha. The gem is the sister half of the one that Tsunade inherited from her grandfather, the First Hokage. The gems are very unique because there are only two that existed in the world. Just one of them is able to buy three to four large mountains. The Leaf has already found prospective buyers however there is a deadline. While all Jounins were all off on dangerous missions, Tsunade chose the brightest of the Chuunins she has on staff.

Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, and Lee were currently hidden within the Umenokouji Clan's Main House. They have surveyed the area for two days and have noted everything down that would help bring success to their mission. The plan was very simple. Shikamaru would use Henge no Jutsu to turn into the head clan's brother, Umenokouji Taski and threatens his brother for the lock code to the treasury vault. Then he, Ino, and Lee will head to the vault while Chouji separates and secure the exit. Once the gem is retrieved, they will meet up with Chouji and exit the compound. After that, they meet up at Cow Village where Tenten is waiting with a secured location readied.

Everyone had used Henge no Jutsu to transform into different Umenokouji Clansmen with the exception of Rock Lee. While Lee was hidden on the rooftops, the other Leaf-nins were slowly closing in on the head of the clan, Umenokouji Nakago. It seems like Nakago is a very busy man and likes to stay in his office alone during the afternoon. Fortunately, Nakago was incredibly busy this week because he was going to be wed in three days. The Leaf-nins had also checked the story out and it seems that Nakago had kidnapped a beautiful girl in the village to become his wife. Ino was extremely pissed about the situation however Shikamaru reminded her of the important mission and her duty.

Nakago was sitting along in his office and Shikamaru decided now was the best time to proceed to the plan. Moments later, Shikamaru got out of the room and signaled his comrades to proceed to the next plan. Chouji splits off while Lee and Ino followed their team leader.

It was at this time that sounds of combat could be heard coming in from the front of the compound. The battle cries got near and nearer. Ino stopped running and jumped on the rooftops with Lee. One of the other plans they discussed is to have Lee and Ino stay behind if something seems wrong to draw attention away from Shikamaru. The two Leaf-nins watched below them and saw many Umenokouji Clansmen started backing out from the arc corridor. Then came out the main source of the problem, which was a man dressed in black with yellow hair.

The clansmen all charged at the newcomer but were killed off by streams of fire. The newcomer continued to walk deeper into the compound and notice Lee and Ino on the rooftops. Suddenly, the man disappeared and reappeared by the two Leaf Chuunins. The two were quite shock at the newcomer's speed.

Ino was staring at the man in front of her. He was handsome and looked really cool with the dark expression he had on. Being a ninja, she was use to those types of expressions since she too has it sometimes. The stranger wore black clothing as in black pants, shirt, combat boots, and trench coat. The only other color present on his clothing is orange colored strips. Looking at the man closer, he gave her a strange feeling like she knows him from somewhere. Then it dawned on her. It was a face that everyone in Konoha had seen at least once a week. It is the fourth face that was carved onto the mountainside of Konoha. "The Forth?" she asked quietly.

Lee examined the newcomer closely. Fastened on the stranger's belt was a large sword that hid behind his coat. The stranger showed great skill when he killed those men below. His body quickly reacted when he sense killing intent from the stranger. He maneuvered his body in front of Ino and took out his nunchaku to block the incoming attack. Seconds later, his weapon became two separate pieces.

"You got skills whoever you are," said the man. "You are ninjas from the Hidden Leaf, judging by your forehead protectors. Did Nakago hire you as bodyguards for the wedding?"

"No," Lee answered. "My team and I are on a mission here to retrieve an object. You have some skills too. I was wondering where the flame came from that you shot out. So it comes from the sword you wield. I am the Leaf's Proud Azure Beast, Rock Lee. May I ask who you are?"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto of the Seven God Swords of the House of Blades. If we are not enemies then it would be senseless that we fight each other. I have my own mission as like you do so it's best that we part for now. I can tell you are a good fighter. Let's spar the next time we meet." Naruto turns towards the girl and says his goodbye in a manner of a gentlemen. He then continued to go further inside the compound away from the two Leaf-nins.

"So he's Naruto of the House of Blades," said Ino. "He doesn't look much older than us. He is probably around the same age as me and his name is already feared around the ninja circuits."

Lee just nodded to his teammate. "The sword he has is the legendary Fireseal Sword. Now it belongs to one of the three elemental swords of the Seven God Swords. Let's continue with the plan and meet up with Shikamaru." He was about to move when something strikes him. "Doesn't that guy look familiar to you?"

"Yeah, that was what I was thinking too. He looks a lot like the Yondaime but this guy has whisker marks on his cheeks. Anyways, let's move it."

The mission was about a half way done as Shikamaru held the gem in his hand. He neatly tucks the gem inside his pouch and started running on the rooftops with Lee and Ino to Chouji's location. Unfortunately, trouble awaits them. As they got to the premises, Chouji was seen battered on the ground. Standing ten feet away from him was a shinobi of the Hidden Rain.

"I certainly didn't think there were anymore rats but I guessed I was wrong," said the Rain-nin.

Lee dashed forward delivering a round house kick but it was evaded by the enemy. The Rain-nin flipped backwards and slashed the ground with his umbrella to disengage the incoming shadow jutsu.

"A shadow user," the Rain contemplated. "You there must be from the Nara Clan of the Hidden Leaf while you with the unsightly clothes is Maito Gai's son."

"I'm not sensei's son you idiot," Lee corrected his opponent. "Maito Gai is my sensei."

"You seem to know a lot about us from our attacks," Shikamaru stated.

The Rain-nin began to laugh. "It won't hurt me to tell you but I was originally from your village. I am Aoi, a missing-nin of the Leaf and present Jounin of the Hidden Rain." Aoi jumped up again to avoid another attack made by the ninja girl. "And you are from the Yamanaka Clan I presume. I know your fathers well before I betrayed them."

Lee launched another attack against Aoi with a variety of combos. Shikamaru and Ino took this to cover Chouji and see to his wounds. Unknown to them, three other Rain-nins came out from their hiding.

Lee jumped upward and uses the momentum of the fall to slam his fist on his opponent. The attack missed but now in his crouch position he spun his right leg into a 360 degree sweeping motion. "Konoha Reppuu!" The hit connected and the opponent began to fall, however Lee was not done attacking. He quickly got on a handstand position and pushed his body off the ground and smashed his feet onto Aoi's chin.

Aoi's body started to become paralyzed from the hit to the chin. He didn't expect Gai's student to be this good. It was then that his allies started their genjutsu attack.

Shikamaru was busy concentrating at the fight between Lee and Aoi that he didn't notice the genjutsu being used on him. Dozens of Mist ninjas appeared from the ground and started throwing kunais at him. He tried evade but then remembered his friends are behind him. He quickly got a handful of shurikens from his pouch and launches them at the incoming weapons and hope they deflect each other. To his surprise, all of his shurikens went through the enemies' kunais and continued its way towards him. He braced himself for the impact and got hurt in the process. Several kunais were seen stabbed to his legs and arms.

Before Shikamaru gets hurt from another attack, Ino pulled him to safety. He looked back and saw that Chouji was already bandage by Ino. The attacks continued and Chouji was forced to enlarge his left arm and use it as a shield to protect his friends. Chouji's bandages ripped apart as he received new wounds.

"Must be some kind of genjutsu," Shikamaru stated. "The real ninjas must be hiding somewhere and launching their attacks simultaneous with their illusions. We'll have to find the real ninjas and deal with them to dissipate the genjutsu."

"Didn't think I was alone did you?" Aoi asked. The Rain-nin was now back on his feet. His head was still slightly dazed from the hit to the chin but he had worse. While Lee was distracted by seeing his teammates in danger, Aoi tried to stabilize his body. "We are hired by Umenokouji Nakago to guard him and his estate till after his wedding. What are you Leaf-nins doing here?"

Seeing his friends in trouble, Rock Lee knew he had to end the fight quickly. He made several punches but they were blocked by the enemy's umbrella. Lee had to flip backwards to avoid Aoi's counterstrike and engage the opponent again in seconds.

The fight stopped when yells could be heard from all over the compound. The bride had been kidnapped and the assailant was escaping at the west side of the compound.

"There are more of you?" Aoi asked. He didn't think the Leaf Village of sent so many ninjas for a job like this. "You three look for the bride while I take care of these guys."

The three Mist-nins nodded their heads and went in search for the missing bride.

At the same moment, Lee charged up his chakra to open his First Gate. Immediately, Lee hits the ground with his right fist with all his might. The ground shook hard and broke apart from the impact.

Aoi began to stumble around as the earth beneath him broke away. He was forced to jump away from the area so he wouldn't be swallowed by the ground. As he does so, he noticed that Lee had disappeared. A sweat drop appeared as he couldn't believe how strong that man was. He immediately surveys his surrounding in case of a sneak attack. He was use to doing that sort of thing and knew how important it was for him to be on guard at this moment. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned and faces the other three Leaf-nins.

"Did that man actually leave you three behind to save his own ass?" Aoi continues to bombard them with his laughter. Aoi lowered his umbrella and gotten three needles from his main weapon. With a flick of the wrist, he let the needles sail towards his opponents. A shock expression came on his face when the needles tag nothing but logs. "Kawarimi no Jutsu?" Without a second to lose, he quickly pursues them before losing their trail.

The Leaf-nins ran as fast as they could as they hop from building to building. Shikamaru then motioned his team to stop as he and Chouji couldn't keep going anymore.

"We have to stop running and patch up our wounds," said Shikamaru. "Running is no good at this point especially when we are leaving a trail of blood behind us." The man from the Nara Clan surveyed the area quickly and chose the house west of them to hide in. The house had their window closed which is the ideal place for them to hide.

The team agreed and followed their leader's orders. As they got to the house, Lee broke apart the doorknob and open the door. A man and a woman were standing their shocked and was going to run away, when Lee stopped them.

"Please, we mean no harm," Lee stated. "My friends are injured and we need a place to hide from our enemies. Please help us."

Unfortunately, the Leaf-nins didn't act quickly enough as Aoi landed behind them. "You killed my men! Those three followed me for years now." Aoi stepped towards them then noticed the lady inside. "And it seems I found Nakago's bride too. This makes things much easier."

The Leaf-nins were confused by Aoi's accusations until a figured stepped out of the house.

"The Fourth?" Shika and Chouji murmured.

"All of you get inside while I take care of this," said Naruto. "I and the man here have some unfinished business."

Aoi looked at the newcomer and immediately remembers him. "You are Naruto from the House of Blades. You and your brother stole the Sword of Raijin from me."

"You mean the Thunderseal Sword?" the blond mercenary asked. "It's currently in my brother's hand so you'll have to ask him for it."

"Impudence!" Aoi yelled. He flings his umbrella into the air and opens it. "Jouro Senban!" The umbrella started spinning around and releasing handful of needless in all direction.

Naruto looked towards his left and right and saw some water barrels. He directs his hands to those barrels and seconds later the container explodes and water began to collect on Naruto's palms. As the mercenary felt it was time for the attack, he quickly shot forward powerful blast of water knocking the needles and umbrella away.

The remaining Rain-nin backed a few stepped as he watched the technique displayed in front of him. "So that is the House of Blades' Cloud Palms." He watched as Naruto shot forward another water blast at him and evaded it. The water blast instead destroyed a wooden post behind him.

Naruto waved his arms around and used his chakra to gather more water into the palm of his hands. He sucked in the water that spilled from the barrels and from moisture in the air which formed a sphere of liquid. He added some chakra into the water so that it would stay in the shape of a ball until it makes an impact. The blonde's palms were now like a dark cloud holding water. Naruto began to build up chakra in his arms then unleash it with maximum force. The sphere of water that was in his palms shot forward.

Aoi got his umbrella ready and opens it to shield himself from the water blast. Technically, an umbrella is made to block water. While he holds it, Aoi taps a button hidden on the handle to release a spray of needles from the center of his weapon. Unluckily, the sphere of water knocked the needles aside and went through the umbrella. The sphere immediately exploded as soon as it made contact with the Rain-nin.

Naruto then grabs hold of the Fireseal's handle and dashed forward with inhuman speed. As he was within range, Naruto brought out the sword from his side and slashed Aoi in half.

"Was last attack really necessary?" Aoi asked.

"No it wasn't. I thought that you being a swordsman would rather die by the blade."

Aoi nodded. "That technique, was it Battoujutsu?" Aoi asked.

"The blade is too huge and I need a scabbard," Naruto answered softly. "It's just a normal diagonal slash using my strength and speed. Sorry about your men, but you'll meet them soon."

"Everything taken cared of?" Lee asked when Naruto walked into the house.

Naruto simply nodded his head.

* * *

Author's Notes:

This is a Naruto with a Final Fantasy like story to it. You may have noticed that I borrowed a few things from a couple of games and comics. Anyways, here is what happened. Jiraiya took Naruto and the Forbidden Scroll of Seals away from Konoha and left them with a trusted friend. The trusted friend adopted Naruto and lets him in the House of Blades, an organization made up of mercenaries that he belongs too. Naruto grows up and learn techniques from the House of Blades instead of ninja stuff. He knows Kyuubi is inside him from a chance encounter. Anyways, continue to read the story as I will explain more stuff next time. Have fun reading!

Fireseal Sword – Guilty Gear

Cloud Palms/Wind Kicks/Frost Fists – Storm Raiders

I may even use Final Fantasy summons instead of the Naruto summons.


	2. The Journey Begins

House of Blades

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Italics: Thoughts

Chapter 2 – The Journey Begins

During around two in the morning, the Leaf-nins began to move slowly out of their room to make a quiet escape. However their plan failed as they saw Naruto sitting at the kitchen while drinking some sake.

"So you had the same idea too," said Naruto. "This village isn't safe anymore so I had the groom and bride leave early. I was just seeing them off. Those two should live a happy life now if nothing bad happens again."

Ino smiled. "So you saved the bride so that they could be together?"

The blond mercenary simply nodded. "I met the guy when I first got to this village. After hearing his sad story how they kidnapped his beloved, I went and took her back. Those two were going to get married a month from now but I told them to do it tonight before running off. At first they said it wasn't the right thing to do but I changed their minds. I'm not one to follow customs and stuff like that. Do what you feel like, if it doesn't hurt or bother others is my motto. I didn't even charge them a penny for getting them back together. It's my little wedding gift to them." Naruto inspected the Leaf-nins' injuries. "Are you sure you are able to go with wounds like that?"

"It can't be helped," Shikamaru answered. He wanted to do all the answering so none of his teammates will accidentally expose their mission. "We have to get back to our village as soon as possible even if Chouji and I are injured."

"How about asking Naruto to help us?" Ino blabbered. This earned dark looks from Shikamaru. "What is it? If you got something to say then spill it."

"I don't know if you guys want to hire me. Getting just one of the Seven God Swords of the House of Blades can be quite expensive. Is the Hidden Leaf willing to pay for my services? I'm not that good of a person to allow another of my services to be free of charge."

"Look Ino, the House of Blades is among the parties that are driving business away from the Hidden Leaf. The Hokage may even hold resentments towards them and we would be in the middle of it. In fact, other Hidden Villages are beginning to see them as a threat as well because they offer cheaper but reliable services. If they continue to grow, they may even become a force that rivals a Hidden Village. Take in consideration of the once small Hidden Sound who is now a powerhouse."

The ninja girl stared at her leader and returned his glare. "Do you think you are able to handle it if bandits or enemy ninjas attack us? You and Chouji could hardly walk much less mold chakra. You as the leader have to think of the higher good. What is more important, dignity or a success of a mission?"

"I'm not worrying about that. I don't want the content of the mission to be exposed. You do know that every village would be after us if they know what we are up to right?"

Naruto had a sweat drop. "You guys do remember I'm here right? Anyways, it's not like I'm willing to accept this mission even if you want to hire me. I don't like to work with ninjas, especially you Leaves.

This time, Lee couldn't keep silence anymore. "It's true that Chouji-kun and Shikamaru-kun are going to be out of commission for a few days. Plus, it's also true that we will lose some dignity if we hire someone else to help us complete the mission. However, Ino-san is right that we need to look at the future instead of worrying too much of these matters. Please help us Naruto-san, at least until we reach Cow Village."

Shikamaru gave into to his teammates' decision. "Just until we reach Cow Village then; that should be alright." In the meantime, he has to be very careful with the gem he has.

"Don't decide things on your own." Naruto was still sipping sake while feeling a bit annoyed. "Why don't you stick around here for awhile until your wounds heal? The house is pretty much empty now that its owners are gone. Or do you have something of importance that you must return to your village quickly?"

"Sorry, but we can't reveal this too you. Would you help us Naruto-san?" Lee stood there waiting for an answer.

_Why is it that I always find myself in these situations? Hasn't the Leaf given me enough trouble? First it was the Kyuubi, and then it was Itachi. _

"Isn't it the code of the House of Blades to accept any jobs as long as it pays?" Shikamaru asked. "Your organization spreads that slogan around a little bit too much."

_Damn, I'll need to have a talk with someone about that. It'll get me killed one of these days._

"Well, it would be rude of me to not accept the beautiful lady's request. Also, thick eyebrows and I still have a sparring match. But, its business before pleasure so let's talk about my payment."

It was now eight in the morning. Before the journey started, Naruto went out of the house and brought back a carriage and a horse. When they asked here he got it from, the blond mercenary simply replied that he borrowed it from Umenokouji Clan. Naruto sat outside directing the horse while the Leaf ninjas were hidden inside the carriage.

"It's rather boring now," said Ino. "So tell me more about the House of Blades."

"What do you want to know?"

Ino contemplated about what questions she should ask. "Why is the organization called the House of Blades?"

Naruto just laughed. "Is that all? Let me give you a history lesson of our organization. It wouldn't hurt at all if I tell you. First of all, we are called the House of Blades because every member carries swords. Did you know that the founders of the organization were all missing-nins from different villages? Their personalities were different as well and the only common thing they had was wielding swords. Thus, the House of Blades was born."

Since it seems like Naruto was fine with asking questions, Lee wanted to know a few things. "I heard from Gai-sensei that the House of Blades has interesting taijutsu. There is supposed to be three branches of taijutsu that is practiced in your organization. One branch trains the user with using their palms, while other branches taught using kicks and punches. They are all hard to learn isn't that right?"

"It may be hard to learn these taijutsu but with hard work, anything could be accomplished."

Lee was ecstatic upon hearing that. Fire was burning in his eyes as he found another person who believes the same motto he does. "Yes that's true. Hard working types can defeat genius types!"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked in confusion. He didn't ask any further once Ino told him not to mind Lee.

"Anyways, it's no secret that these techniques are hard to master. But it could be done like I said if you put a lot of time and effort. Do you think it is possible to take down a whole mountain?"

The Leaf-nins was thinking of the problem but it was Shikamaru who was the first to answer. "If you take a shovel and remove the ground day by day, with enough time and effort even the mountain will disappear. Is that the answer?"

"You're exactly correct even though no one in their right mind would do that. The three branches of taijutsu are the Cloud Palms, Wind Kicks, and Frost Fist."

"And which branch are you from Naruto?" Ino asked.

"Originally I started out in the Wind Kicks Branch. After I mastered that taijutsu, I chose to move on to the Cloud Palms Branch. As for the Frost Fist, I haven't learned that yet. You know, it is suppose to be quite a feat to master even one style. We of the Seven God Swords are not all talks and no show."

"How old are you Naruto?" Ino can't help asking.

"Nineteen."

The carriage suddenly slowed down as Naruto senses an ambush. Whoever the people were, they have been following him since a half an hour ago. Over the years, his body had gone through drastic changes as it kept evolving to suit Kyuubi's chakra. Heighten senses like those of a fox was now apart of him. In addition, his own chakra had become bigger to compensate his new body. Increased strength and speed is another by product. The reason why he hasn't done anything yet was because he felt it would be easier if the bandits all showed up at once, so that he could simply take care of them at one spot. The Leaf ninjas also began to notice the ambush and were relieved that the enemies are plain bandits.

"You have a lot of guts to stop my carriage mister," Naruto said to the person whom seems to be in charge. "If you are smart, you better get away while you still can." The blond mercenary went through this situation many times while he was on bodyguard duty. Not a single time did the bandits leave peacefully on their own freewill.

When the leader of the bandits gave out his threats, Naruto thrust his right palm outward. "Cloud Palms – Sprinkling Rain!" As he sent his palms outward, he pushed the moisture in the air which was now mixed with his chakra at the leader. The attack is invisible but is very effective. It exploded immediately after it makes impact. The Sprinkling Rain is less powerful than the technique he used on Aoi. However, it is quicker to perform because the user does not have to gather a larger degree of water.

The man was knocked out cold. The other bandits started to charge at the blond but they were easily defeated in a single motion. Naruto waved his right hand in a 180 degree slapping motion. This was a revised version of the Sprinkling Rain. Naruto only sends his chakra forward where there was a bandit. It was invisible but he sent out his chakra numerous times equal to the numbers of the bandits. The chakra flew forward and mixes in with the moisture in the air and was push forward to a straight linear direction. The water immediately exploded upon impact once in contact with its target. Not one was left standing after that attack.

Unfortunately, the Leaf-nins were hiding in the carriage and missed the display of power once again.

"We're going to start moving again," Naruto stated.

The group decided to stop at the next village since the sky was becoming dark. Shikamaru had to admit that the journey was rather fun. Life was very difficult after he became a Chuunin. He and the rest of the ninjas of the Leaf had to work two to three times as hard to make ends meet. It was very troublesome. This was one of the few times they actually had a good time. When it was lunch time, Naruto stopped the carriage for a quick break. Lee did some hunting and brought back some food which was giving to Chouji to cook. When it came to cooking, Chouji was the man to go to. Once they ate and finished resting, they got back onto the carriage and continue the journey.

They were now at Shosen Village. Cow Village was just one day away from here. They would meet up with Tenten and say goodbye to Naruto the next day.

Shikamaru and Ino decided to go off and buy supplies before all the stores were closed. They would meet up with Naruto, Lee, and Chouji back at the restaurant when they finished shopping. They chose to stop by the first store they saw. It was a small store but they had what they're looking for. Suddenly, they heard a familiar name mentioned by two ninjas walking outside the store. Those ninjas were from the Hidden Cloud Village.

"Let's transform and follow them," said Shikamaru. "Henge no Jutsu!"

"That Uchiha has no heart I tell you," said one of the two Cloud-nins. "I can't believe Genki is dead. Were all Uchihas this ruthless?"

"What would you do if you were surrounded by a group of ninjas who wants to capture you?" asked the taller ninja. "But it's a shame though. His bloodline would have made the Hidden Cloud strong again. People are beginning to look down upon us at the same level of the Hidden Leaf."

"Don't put our name next to them. We're not that bad. The Leaf couldn't satisfy the Uchiha so he has to run to the Hidden Sound. But then I hear that he also ran away from them in the end. I don't think it's a good idea to let loose cannons like that in our village. He may become too uncontrollable and will cost us a lot."

"Report stated that the Uchiha was heading east for unknown reason. It as if he was searching for something. That was when we tried to intercept him but the mission failed as you know. But I agree with you that he's too much trouble to deal with. We should just let him go and be someone else's problem."

Shikamaru and Ino stopped following them as they felt enough information was gathered. He was glad that Ino could restrain herself when those two were speaking ill of their village. Too bad he was wrong.

"Who the hell do they think they are talking about us like that?" Ino screamed. "Let's go and teach them a lesson."

"They may have reinforcements waiting somewhere. It's just too troublesome. Let them think the way they do. Soon, our village's problems will be over then we can kick their butts whenever we like." Shikamaru knew it wasn't true but hopes that would calm his friend down. Even with money, it would take at least a year to bring order back to the village.

The two started walking back towards the restaurant. As soon as Shikamaru and Ino got near the restaurant, they began to hear sounds of fighting. The area was very chaotic. Naruto was fighting with what seems to be a drunken Lee.

"I'm glad you guys are back," said Chouji as he waved to them. "Lee just turned violent out of nowhere. He sounds a bit drunk."

Shikamaru slaps his forehead. "I don't need this. I forgot to tell you guys not to have him touch alcohol. As the Fifth stated, Lee goes into a drunken frenzy."

Lee flung several angular punches at Naruto but only managed to hit the flat side of the blond man's sword. The blond mercenary's strength and speed made it possible for him to block and withstand Lee's strong attacks. The fight has been going on for three minutes and no one has gained an advantage over the other. Lee was doing most of the attacking while Naruto simply blocks the onslaught with the flat side of the Fireseal. Naruto detach the Fireseal from his belt and moves the sword to the area where Lee was attacking and then reattach it back beside him.

In this fight, it seems that Lee was over using his stamina while Naruto was conserving his. If there was a need to, Naruto jumps back to gain distance. The jump itself was not ordinary. With a tap of his feet, Naruto sailed backwards as if he was floating in air like some sort of deity. He has mastered the Wind Kicks, which makes him extremely light on his feet. Therefore, moving around and about was easy for him.

"Don't take me lightly!" Lee continues his barrage with unpredictable angular strikes. The attack only made its way just inches of Naruto before being blocked or knocked away. However, he did manage to snap the string that tied a gourd Naruto was carrying on his belt.

"When I said sparring, I didn't mean for it to turn out like this." Naruto was having a blast. Fighting with another taijutsu expert was always fun and excited. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were so overrated in his point of view. The House of Blades does offer basic ninjutsu training but he waves it away to concentrate on practicing his Wind Kicks and sword arts. Lee was a strong man and was able to keep up with him. Not only that but the Leaf ninja was able to use the Drunken Fist, a taijutsu style he only heard of but not yet experienced until now. His opponent was so unpredictable.

The man with the bowl cut had already managed to land two hits on Naruto even when he tried his best to block.

When Naruto sailed backwards once again to gain distance, Lee flew forward while spinning around. The blond saw the attack coming and quickly place the Fireseal in front of his chest. Seconds later, he saw Lee's head hit his blade with a loud impact. Much to everyone's surprise, the head butt to the sword didn't seem to faze him and it looks like he was now moving faster than before.

Lee began to surround Naruto but the blond countered by swinging his Fireseal. Lee predicted the attack coming and simply bends his upper body backward to dodge the strike. When Naruto stops his swing, he reeled his upper body back and sends a forward thrust with his right hand. A loud noise emerge as Lee's fist once again met the flat side of Naruto's bade. Naruto dropped the blade towards the ground so that the flat side of the blade would shield him from the attack. Then he pushes Lee away with the tip of the handle and swing the blade up in a vertical motion from the ground, intending to strike at Lee.

"You think I'll fall for that huh?" Lee stepped aside and let the blade pass by just an inch away from his body. What he didn't expect was flames manifesting from the sword. However, he bends his upper body back again and this time using that momentum to twist his body around into a counterattack. He got his hands into position of playing a flute then swung his arm around. "Drunken Man Plays Flute!"

Because it was his right hand that was holding Fireseal, Naruto's left hand was free to block the sneak attack. With that same hand, he thrust forward his palms and pushes the moisture in the air directly to Lee's chest. The moisture which was now mixed in with his chakra exploded on impact and sent Lee back a few steps. "Cloud Palms – Sprinkling Rain!" Naruto only hopes to knock some sense back into his friend. Using only defensive moves are no longer an option. It was time to go on the offensive.

"What was that? What did you throw at me? That hurts damn it!" Lee was furious and attacked even faster than better.

Being a taijutsu expert like himself, Naruto knew things were getting out of hand. He latched the Fireseal back to his side and decided to fight with hand-to-hand combat. He may accidentally kill the guy with sword in this situation. Seconds later, Naruto shot out what looks like a hundred hands. "Cloud Palms – Rain Dance!" In reality, Naruto increased the speed of his palm thrust and pushes forward the moisture in the air. He watches as Lee was hit several times with the attack which finally brought the man down. The blond knew Lee wasn't dead because he only used 60 percent of the technique's power.

The Drunken Lee wouldn't let this rest so he got up on his feet again. His face and body were covered with bruises now, and he was starting to spit out blood. He was still drunk and woozy to hear his teammates telling him to stop. What he did was grab the gourd Naruto dropped and drank its content because he was thirsty.

_That is so not good._

Lee's face was even redder now. He slams the gourd on the ground then disappears and reappears by Naruto. The blond had to use everything he had to block and dodge his opponent's attack. The two moved so fast that they were sometimes invisible to the spectator's eyes. He tried to make several counterattacks but Lee simply dodges with his angular movement and counters with another rough attack. Usually when fighting with taijutsu, the user would have marked targets on the body that they want to aim for, but in Lee's Drunken Fist style, all parts of the body was fair game.

Lee smiled with his bruised up face as he finally got through Naruto's defenses. He could hear his fists hitting his opponent's chest and face. The Leaf's Proud Azure Beast got into a handstand now and started fluttering his legs. To his dismay, Naruto blocked all the kicks and managed to jump back because of his disposition. Lee jumped towards the blond but was knocked down by another invisible blow coming from his opponent's foot.

"What the hell? I know for sure your kick didn't touch me. I wasn't even close to you. Stop using your magic on me!"

"Wind Kicks – Pounding Wind!" For this technique, Naruto gathers the air with his foot by using chakra and condense it into an invisible sphere. With any kind of kicks, Naruto could shoot that sphere of wind at the opponent.

Lee was on the ground again when an invisible force hit his body. "It doesn't hurt! I don't feel pain! You can't hurt me anymore!"

Although Lee was strong in his drunken state, the Drunken Fist he uses may be at a disadvantage to the taijutsu of the House of Blades. The Drunken Fist may be unpredictable but so was Naruto's art. Cloud Palms is just as unpredictable while Wind Kicks is formless. Lee would have a better chance if he wasn't drunk. It was clearly the case of bad match ups of taijutsu. At least that was the case for now.

The Leaf's Proud Azure Beast grabbed some rocks and flings it to his opponent. It wasn't a strategic plan or anything. Lee was just downright mad.

"Wind Kicks – Slicing Wind!" Naruto sent a multiple swing kicks at the rocks with blades of wind coming from his foot. The rocks were cut to harmless pieces in an instant.

The area was a complete mess now. It was for sure that they can't stay in the village after what has happen. While Naruto was able to think straight and use the right moves for the situation, Lee totally shows off his strength without care. Of course, it wasn't his fault due to his present state of mind.

"Stop fighting you two!" Ino yelled from a distance.

Naruto turns his head towards Ino and nodded. The fight was indeed fun while it lasted. Lee charged at him again, which was what he wanted. He was going to finish the fight with his next move. With a tap of his feet, Naruto sail up in the air and beautifully landed on each of Lee's shoulders. "Wind Kicks – Drilling Wind!" Naruto jumps about a foot up and started to spin with incredible speed. A tornado of wind started to form around him and Lee. The bottom of the tornado began drilling down into the earth until only Lee's head was above the ground's surface.

"Man, you are such a mean drunk," Naruto stated as he watch Lee wiggle around but couldn't free himself.

* * *

Authors Notes: 

Damn, I messed up on Tsunade being the Second Hokage's granddaughter huh. She ought to be the First Hokage's granddaughter. I already fixed that part and it's now uploaded. Thanks for catching that.

About the pairings, I am planning to match Naruto up with Tenten. I just thought it would be interesting. Naruto uses swords while Tenten throws basically anything that has a sharp tip.

I don't think you need to worry about being unfamiliar with Final Fantasy. I'm only going to use a couple summons from the games that I think will make the story entertaining. That will be a total of 8 Summons but only half of them will be use throughout the story.

I hope chapter two has been entertaining.

Check out the Naruto images I redid for my Shinobiville fanfic. Go to my bio profile and check out my home page. There is nothing there but links to the images.


	3. First Encounter

House of Blades

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Italics: Thoughts

Chapter 3 – First Encounter

"Are you sure that you don't need medical treatment?" asked Shikamaru.

The group was now camping deep within the forest where no one could disturb them. After the fight between Naruto and Lee, the Leaf-nins knew they could no longer stay. Their mission was vital to the Hidden Leaf's future, therefore they didn't want attention from those they will steal their precious gem.

The people of Shosen Village may not have known it, but they have just witnessed one of the most splendid fights ever to occur. Naruto and Lee's strength and speed were considered top ranks in the world. Windows shattered from the shockwave given off from the impact of their attacks. Buildings crumbled while they are in the middle of their pathway. A good block of the Eastern District was destroyed within seconds.

"I heal fast," Naruto replied. "I never thought a sip of sake can cause so much trouble."

It was an hour before midnight. Besides the owl hooting, the night was very quiet. The other group members were currently asleep. Each lay in their sleeping beds circling the camp fire they had made.

Lee was the new edition to the injured list. He should have been worse off then Shikamaru and Chouji but Naruto had some knowledge of medical jutsus. Seeing how the situation was partly his fault, he healed the serious injuries with no charge while leaving cuts and scrapes for the body to heal naturally. The blond mercenary was then asked to fasten the recovery of the other two ninjas. The request was taken back after hearing there was a fee for healing their wounds. Naruto simply didn't see why he should give off free services since none of the wounds was any of his faults.

"I thought you said you can't use jutsus? How were you able to heal Lee?"

Naruto looked at the young leader of the group. "I guess I'm one of the few that sucks at ninjitsus. Jutsus that requires no hand seals are more suited for me. Hence I could use medical jutsus and taijitsus." The blond mercenary leaned back onto the tree behind him after placing the Fireseal Sword on the ground. "Tell me what it's like in the Hidden Leaf."

"After the surprise attack of both the Hidden Sand and Sound, the status of our village went down. It's troublesome to explain everything to you. You probably know the important details anyhow since none of this is a secret. We are struggling to rebuild the village and our military forces."

The blond nodded. The Hidden Leaf was debatably the most prosperous out of the five main shinobi villages. At its current state, it is debatable that they are beneath the other four main shinobi villages. Naruto then looked at the other blond in their group. "That girl must be working hard too during this time."

"You mean Ino? She's rude, bossy, loud, and lazier than Chouji at times but I guess she does work hard as the rest of us."

Naruto sweat dropped at Shikamaru's description of his teammate. "Looks like you know her well."

"We've been going to the same academy since we were little. In addition, our parents are former teammates and still currently best friends." Shikamaru then looks at the mercenary with a serious expression. "Fall for her if you want but imagine being bossed around 24/7 with no rest."

"I'll remember that," said Naruto which followed by some weak laughter. He couldn't tell if Shikamaru was serious or not.

_I don't think I'll need another one of those rude, bossy, and loud types again._

Off in another place, it wasn't as quiet as some people hoped.

The tower where the prison was kept was full and noisy. A few days ago, the official designated to the village declared the place to be a hot zone. All non-residence was to vacate the village while the residence was moved to the tower. Those who don't comply simply weren't heard from again. It has been nearly a week that this occurred and many people are starting to get impatient. During this time, a very important prisoner escaped.

Most of the forces were sent looking for the escapee. After the first day, the search was ordered to stop knowing that normal soldiers probably could not find the escapee. Those who can do the job are ninjas whom have been trained for many years to perform those kinds of tasks. It is very logical that a ninja is best suited to find another ninja. The chance of success increases when there is a lot of ninja working under you.

"Find the girl and bring her to me," said the man hidden in shadows.

It was daytime and Naruto's group started moving again. It started out a normal day and it has been the same ever since. In fact, everything seems to be perfect. There were no wild animals or bandits to cause them trouble.

As the group traveled further in their wagon, another flock of birds flew from the direction of Cow Village towards them. Naruto secretly made a note that this was the fourth time a flock of birds flew away from their destination point which started last night. Another note that should have been jogged down is that the birds would often crow or chirp as if they were warning others of something. Trouble might be brewing in that direction and Naruto plans to keep a closer eye on things until his mission was over.

_Either there is a storm brewing in that location or there is a huge crowd causing ruckus. Those are the only things that can drive birds away. The main idea is fear._

"What will you do after this Naruto-kun?" asked a bored Ino.

"I'm probably going to head back to the House of Blades," said Naruto after a moment of thinking. "I have been away from home for quite awhile. It should be time for me to visit home. Don't worry about the bill. I'll definitely remember to send a bill to the Hidden Leaf."

The blond girl looked a bit peeved. "Is all you think is money?"

"Not all the time. I just wanted to remind you guys that I'm a hired service. My job will be finish as we step foot into Cow Village."

"It sounds like you hate being around us." Ino doesn't know why but she actually liked being around Naruto. There was something about him that kind of reminds her of the old Sasuke. Naruto was tough, cool, and has a loner type of personality. The qualities drove her a bit crazy.

"Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against you guys. I just don't like ninjas. They always have this attitude as if they are superior to us. They are only beginning to see the House of Blades as a threat. People forget how capable we are when thinking us as merely mercenaries and not high class soldiers. There is this feeling of satisfaction every time I grind my palms or feet in their face to show those arrogant bastards who is the better of the two. However, I do have this slight grudge against the Hidden Leaf in general. Excuse me if I don't share the reason why. You have your own secrets as do I."

The team finally made it to Cow Village by nightfall.

Before Naruto even stepped his foot into the village, he had already felt something was wrong about the village. Usually, Cow Village was lively. Because the village was a place where people gathered to eat fine dishes, it was truly a place that never sleeps. Therefore the blond mercenary found it rather odd that the night sounded so quiet. His hearing, being the best out of his senses told him how lonely the place was. It was almost to the state that Cow Village was eerie.

The place wasn't totally desolated. There were people walking in the streets and some shops were open. Even with this going on, the blond mercenary still felt something was way off. One thing that sticks out was the chakra level of the villagers. The level of chakra was too high for normal citizens. Kyuubi's keen senses help picked that up. Their heartbeat was also in good shape as if they all went through daily exercise. To Naruto, these people smelled like ninjas.

Suddenly, Naruto's hearing picked up on a heartbeat and foot steps that was going towards them. "Someone is walking towards us," he warned the group.

"Maybe its Tenten," said Lee. "She ought to be past her patience by now and started waiting for us at the entrances."

_It doesn't seem like a girl._

The man in question turned out to be Mizuki, a Chuunin of the Hidden Leaf. He continued to walk towards his fellow Leaf-nins and greeted them.

At first the Hidden Leaf ninjas was confused about Mizuki's appearance but quickly greeted him back. The Leaf-nins felt extra comfort seeing a fellow Leaf is beside them.

Before Mizuki said anything else, he regarded the stranger with the blond hair and blue eyes. "And who might you be?" he asked.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He definitely heard the purple hair ninja's heartbeat skipped.

"What is a member of the House of Blades traveling with you guys for?" Mizuki asked his one time students. "I don't think Godaime-sama is going to like this."

Shikamaru being the appointed leader of the team felt it was his duty to answer. "We ran into unexpected difficulties along the way. Chouji and I are injured due to complications. To secure the success of the mission, I felt it was necessary to enlist Uzumaki Naruto's aid. We did not disclose the significance of the mission to Naruto. The mission is a success and is waiting to be delivered to home."

The rest of the Leaf-nins assured Mizuki that the mission was a success and it was carried out correctly as possible.

"Don't worry," Mizuki assured the group. "Godaime-sama won't be hearing any complaints from me. "I'll back you guys up that it was the best decision to make in that situation. Let's continue our talk somewhere else more private." The man then turned towards Naruto. "Unfortunately, the discussion that we are going to have is only restricted to Hidden Leaf ninjas."

As Ino spoke to defend Naruto, the blond mercenary decided to cut her off.

"Now that we are in Cow Village, my duty is over," Naruto stated. "The Leaf will receive a bill from the House of Blades soon. All our missions are kept confidential within our organization so no information will be leaked outside about this job."

The group started to say their goodbyes. Lee declared a rematch the next time they meet while Ino asked him to come visit her. Chouji and Shikamaru had no special words to say other than contacting him again if they were in another jam.

As Naruto turned and started walking away, he stopped and popped another quick question. "Mizuki-san, you will be taking them safely back to the Hidden Leaf Village?"

"That is what Godaime-sama sent me here to do. You can trust their lives with me."

With that said, the group spilt apart with Naruto going his own way.

_That man was definitely lying. His heart betrayed him. _

It looks as if Naruto had left the village, but he actually made a u-turn once he believes the Leaf-nins were out of sight. His gut feelings told him to not trust Mizuki and to conduct his investigations secretly without anyone seeing him. An hour later, he finally made it to the center of Cow Village.

The people he saw walking along the streets early had mysteriously disappeared from view. However, he knows they were still in the village because he sensed their chakra nearby. As he continued farther, his noise picked up a faint smell of blood coming from the western direction. The blond quickly followed the trail until he found himself in a different street.

_It looks like someone died here. Judging by the faint smell, I am estimating the time of death to be a few days old. Someone had moved the body to another location and cleaned the area. What reason would someone go as far as removing murder evidence and practically turning this crowded village into a ghost town? Furthermore, there has to be a lot of people behind this to put this plan in action._

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto caught onto a stronger scent of blood and followed the trail. This time he was led to a cemetery at the eastern side of Cow Village. Situation like these may scare a few rookies, but Naruto was a real pro. He finally made his way to the cheese at the end of the maze.

_The scent seems to be coming from under the grave. The first scent I was tracking also seems to have ended here as well but in another grave. There are multiple scents I am detecting, and all are under fresh new graves. So it seems this graveyard is the final resting place for the people who were recently killed. Why were these people killed? Is there a connection to the Shikamaru's mission? Is that Mizuki character behind this?_

From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw something sticking out from the ground. It seems to be an arm made of plastic. Being curious about the situation, Naruto pulled the arm and found it attached to a human sized puppet. Suddenly, Naruto dropped the arm and took a step back. He figured the puppet might have something to do with the new deaths in the village. As he moved back, he felt his foot standing on something. As he looked down, he saw what seems to be a plastic object.

Naruto instinctively jumped into the air and started to spin fast. In a second, a tornado appeared around him and started drilling into the ground. "Wind Kicks – Drilling Wind!" The attack was a bit revised in order to shovel the dirt away to uncover the secret that was meant to be hidden. In seconds, a radius of fifteen feet around Naruto was cleared from enough dirt that he could see what he wanted. Naruto stops his attack and landed on the ground with a shock expression. There was more than one puppet here. As he finished counting, the number went over twenty.

It was at this time that Naruto's hearing picked up two heartbeats that was coming his way.

_Kugutsu__ no Jutsu?__ The dolls seem to be battle-type puppets. From what I know, not many people can operate this many puppets single-handedly. Does that mean there is more than one puppeteer? The __Hidden__Sand__Village__ is commonly known for having good puppet users. Is the Hidden Sand involved somehow I wonder? _

A little later, Naruto brought out his Fireseal Sword and used its flat side to shield him from the incoming kunais. As he lowers his blade, he saw a ninja jumped down with a heavy scroll on her back.

"Want to explain why you attacked me?" Naruto asked.

Tenten now took the time to examine the person she attacked thoroughly. The man's clothing was different from her pursuers. Although she wanted to apologize, there was a hint danger coming from him. Somehow, she knows that he is stronger than those who were looking for her. One thing that easily differentiated their skills apart was that the blond stranger made her miss. She never misses her target when it comes to aiming and throwing a weapon. She could only miss when the opponent was good enough to force her to miss.

"Let me be on my way if you know what is good for you," Tenten threatened. She doesn't know why she chose those words but that wasn't important right now.

"You're a ninja from the Hidden Leaf. What are you doing here in a place like this?" Naruto could hear her breathing hard. The girl was tired. He starts to wonder the last time she ate and slept.

"I'm escaping from some people. Move to the light where I can see you." She didn't have a good look at the stranger at first but it all changed after he stepped out into the moon light. The stranger's face looked familiar. "Uzumaki Naruto?"

This certainly surprised the blond mercenary. "Have we met before?"

"Not really. I saw you one time in the Tea Country. I happened to be in the same place and heard you were in the area. If I remember correctly, you were helping Idate-san win that year's fire race." Before even verifying if Naruto was an enemy, Tenten had already relaxed her posture. It has been a very tiring week. Not for long, sounds of music appeared in the vicinity.

_The person with the other heartbeat is also nearby. She's beginning to play the flute. Estimated twenty feet in the direction the girl showed up. Is she casting genjitsu?_

Before anyone knows it, the puppets on the ground started moving again. Each got onto its feet and went into a battle position. Naruto and Tenten were now being surrounded.

_The ways they move are different then before. It looks like they are moving with a will of their own. _

"I don't sense any chakra strings being attached to the puppets. This isn't Kugutsu no Jutsu. We are dealing with Marionette Ninjas. They are puppets that can move on its own without be controlled by its user. The sound of the flute I'm guessing is only activating these things."

"I know what Marionette Ninjas are," said Tenten. "We have some in the Hidden Leaf." The ninja girl got into a fighting stance with a pair of kunais in her hands. "This is my problem Naruto. I'll take care of this myself. You can go ahead and leave." She rocked her head from left to right to keep the puppets in check. When she looks at Naruto again, the man didn't seem to have budged. "Look, I'm not weak ok? I'll tell you this right now that I don't need your help. I never did."

That last sentence had to mean something and Naruto was perplexed about it. "Did I make a good first impression when you met me?"

It was too late for Tenten to reply because the Marionette Ninjas had started to attack.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I've been busy with my new job so I had no time to write. A couple of other things happened also. One was that I was on a month vacation and the other was my HD died.

I am just getting started to set Naruto up with Tenten. More actions coming next chapter.


	4. Intentions

House of Blades

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Italics: Thoughts

Chapter 4 – Intentions

_It is as I thought. Being around Leaf ninjas brings me nothing but trouble. She said she doesn't need help, so maybe I should just leave. This isn't my fight. My time is wasted enough._

Before Naruto could leave, he suddenly remembers why he chose to work with the Leaf-nins. It wasn't because of money. Naruto has other intentions. There is someone in the Hidden Leaf that he had been searching for. Unfortunately, he doesn't know the person's name or even remember the person's face anymore. He met the girl for only an instant, but that encounter changed his life forever. The blond mercenary had tried his best to get along with Shikamaru and the others in order to find some hint of who he was looking for, but it was to no avail. He actually did like the group but they belong to the Hidden Leaf, therefore is his secret enemies.

_This girl said she met me in the Tea Country before. I've been in that country many times to protect the Wasabi Clan's chosen runner during the Todori Burning Fire Race. That incident happened two years ago, which fell right after the last Todori Burning Fire Race. Could she be the one I am looking for? _

As one of the Marionette Ninjas inches forward, it found itself quickly at the edge of Fireseal Sword's flat end point. The shape of the sword isn't normal. The handle is black and long enough to have two hands grasp it. The piece that divides the blade and the handle is a reddish block. The blade is in a shape of a rectangle which means it has no sharp end point where it could be used to stab the opponent. Luckily, the blades along the sides are sharp. There are also red metal shielding that sandwich the flat side of the blade together. Although the Fireseal Sword might not look usefully, it could mysteriously generate fire at the user's will.

Knowing that he can't help fighting, Naruto flick his sword up and put the marionette on fire. Another puppet launched at him but found its arm being cut away, followed by its head.

Tenten threw her weapons at the lifeless dolls only to find her attacks is useless. Even if her kunais struck at vital areas, the dolls continues to move since they have no life in them. She needed to do something to buy her some time to think of another plan. She then felt intense heat coming from Naruto's direction. As she turned and faced him, she saw the blond took out seven other marionettes with a powerful swing of his sword. The enemies quickly engulfed in flames.

"I thought I told you I could handle this," said Tenten. With that comment, Tenten pulled out a small scroll hidden in her belt and opens it. She bit her right thumb and did a couple of hand seals then proceeded to cross out something on the scroll. Soon after, a two giant shuriken appeared. "Fuuma Shurikens!" The ninja girl who admires her Godaime jumps up and threw each shuriken at opposite directions. Marionette Ninjas in its path were diced in seconds.

One of the drawbacks of the Fireseal Naruto discovered was that he couldn't channel his chakra to it like his other swords. This meant he can't execute any of his special sword arts. For some reason, the sword doesn't accept chakra and bounces it back to him. Another drawback is that he can't successfully bring out Fireseal's full potential. The blond does feel its immense power but has no knowledge of drawing it out. All Naruto could do was create streaks of flame. Having it for three years and not being able to figure out its secret is embarrassing. In fact on his current journey, Naruto left his other swords home to concentrate more on the Fireseal.

Within the Seven God Swords of the House of Blades are two other members that wield the same type swords he does. The Iceseal and Thunderseal are considered to be twin brothers of the Fireseal Sword. These two other elite swordsmen who Naruto considers as brothers were able to utilize its power in a short period of time. During his journey, he had made countless theories on why he couldn't do what the two had accomplished. Perhaps it was because the wielder of the Iceseal Sword has a bloodline ability of ice, which made it easier to connect with the sword. On the other hand, the user of the Thuderseal Sword had no bloodline ability which through this idea out into the gutter. The lack of improvements he made adding onto the incident two years ago had drove him to a downward spiral. Naruto had been wandering aimlessly for the past months trying to climb his way back up.

Naruto didn't bother to reply back to the female ninja. He kept swinging his Fireseal around whenever he was being attacked by them. He wasn't going to interfere with her fight as she wished, but that doesn't he'll take any attacks bluntly. After this is finished, Naruto has some questions to ask the ninja.

"Why don't you answer me Naruto?" Tenten asked.

Tenten jumps in the air once again and caught one of her Fuuma Shurikens. Once it was in her hands, she swung widely to launch it again. After the third time, the mysterious person controlling the marionettes got wiser and sacrificed a few puppets in order to stop the big shurikens. Already having another plan in mind, Tenten threw a couple of kunais with explosive tags attached to them. The plan was a success as numbers of marionettes were destroyed. The Leaf-nin looks at Naruto again only to see him take down the last batch of puppets with ease. Before she could say anything, she saw him staring off into space and followed his gaze. Twenty feet away on a building was a lady playing a flute. The music stopped soon after the enemies were destroyed.

"Who are you?" the ninja of the Leaf asked. "You've been following me for days now. Why don't you show yourself and fight me?"

All that was heard from the pursuer was laughter. Then it died off as the mysterious lady disappeared.

"Damn, she got away."

"You said you met me in the Tea Country. Where and when did you see me?"

Tenten turns toward Naruto after hearing the seriousness of his tone. "Don't have that tone with me buster. I haven't forgotten that you just interfered with my fight."

"Answer me!"

The Leaf-nin stepped back a few time thinking that he was going to attack her. She knows that his swordplay is brilliant and didn't want to fight him. "During the Todori Burning Fire Race, while you were protecting Idate-san. My teammate Neji, Lee, and I were there."

_I can't remember if it was this girl or not. She said she only met me at the race and no where else. Maybe she' not the one I was looking for. She was with her teammates? Her teammates are both guys so it couldn't one of them either._

"I'm leaving," Naruto stated suddenly.

Tenten didn't know what to do. It sounded almost like he was angry with something and now flat out leave without another word. She wonders if she should stop him and apologize but then again, he seemed angry.

"You said your teammate is Lee right? He and the other Leaf-nins are back in the village. They are currently speaking with Mizuki-san." Naruto continued to leave but stopped at the girl's concern.

"They're with Mizuki? Oh no! I must hurry and warn them."

"Is something wrong?"

"Mizuki is the reason why I am in this mess. He is a traitor. That bastard is working against us with the Hidden Sound. I found out he had other intentions after he drugged me and placed me in the village's prison cell. He is going to try and steal the…." Before she could finish her statement, Tenten remembered it was forbidden to disclose about the mission. "Anyways, we must help them."

Naruto didn't bother to answer her and started leaving again. "You do what you must but I have other things to do." His hearing picked up the girl's sudden change of her heartbeat. From experience, he knew that this combination of beats meant she was going to jump. As he thought, the girl did so as he predicted and landed beside him grabbing his shoulder.

"Where are you going? I might need your help."

"Didn't you say not to interfere with your fight earlier? Like you said, it's not my fight so I shouldn't have to be involved."

"Look, I'll pay you to help me save my friends. You work for money right?"

"A lot of people seem to believe so but that information is false. Your friends had the same idea like you did. Unlike what people think, the missions I go on are chosen by me. If I don't want to, no amount of money in the world can move my feet. You're talking to the wrong person. Like I said, I have other things to do."

"Coward!"

Naruto turned his head around and stares at the girl. The girl seems to be strong enough to take care of herself. There was no reason for him to act. Furthermore, she is a ninja belonging to the Hidden Leaf. "You annoy me."

Tenten doesn't know why but hearing that from the blond mercenary hurts her. It isn't physical pain that she felt. The pain for some reason originated from her heart. She let go of his shoulders and let the man go his own way. Why am I feeling this, she thought. She doesn't know it yet but somewhere within her memories of the event two years ago lays the answer.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I meant to say HDD as in Hard Drive.


	5. The Rescue

House of Blades

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Italics: Thoughts

Chapter 5 – The Rescue

On the streets below, Tenten began searching for her missing comrades. The blood mercenary didn't turned out to be as cold-blooded as she initially thought. Before Naruto left, he pointed her at the direction Mizuki was last seen.

Two hours had past since her search began and was now starting to show signs of fatigue. It has been two days since she has gone without food, water, and sleep. Her rations were accidentally left behind while she was escaping from Mizuki. In order to survive the last few days, she had to steal scraps of food while the enemies weren't looking. Although the act is beneath that of a proper lady, she is a ninja to the core. Besides, beggars can't be choosers. Tenten doesn't know how much longer her body would last and if she could survive the next fight. If only Naruto would help her, she thought. However, he was right that this had nothing to do with him. This is a problem of the Hidden Leaf Village and it has to be settled by its ninjas.

Without putting much more thought into it, Tenten thought about the worst case scenario. Her teammates were probably captured and imprisoned. Mizuki didn't kill her because she was valuable as a hostage than a corpse. Mizuki probably has the same idea now that she left her cage. With that thought, Tenten started to make her way towards the prison cell.

Lee was the first one to have wakened. His body is better conditioned than his comrades. It is due to his intense daily training. Immediately, he found himself immobilized. He was being chained to a wall. No matter how much he tried to struggle, the chain would not break like it should. After struggling, he finally realized that his body was numb and weak. He had to muster his remaining chakra to look around his surroundings. He saw that his teammates are in the same condition.

"You're awake?" asked a man sitting outside the prison cell. "And I thought I leeched enough of your chakra to make you sleep for at least three days."

Lee's memory was still a bit jittery. He looked around the cell one more time to check on his teammates' condition. No matter where he looked, he could not find Mizuki.

The man behind the cell was Yorai. Seven years ago, he attended the Chuunin Exam along with the prisoners as a Hidden Leaf Ninja. In actuality, he was a Sound Ninja spy. He has the ability to leech out chakra from the human body. In the past, he could only leech chakra from his hands but now it could be done from his entire body.

"What did you do with Mizuki-san?"

"Mizuki?" Yorai laughed for a bit. "Baka, he was the one who brought you here."

"What?"

"He had you fooled. Let me bring you into our little secret. Your friend Mizuki is actually working for Orochimaru-sama. In fact, he was the one who thought of this scheme."

"Orochimaru? What does he want with us?"

"We just want your gem. Orochimaru-sama knows how important it is to Tsunade and the Hidden Leaf. It's nothing personal." Yorai opens the cell door and walks in. With a few quick hand seals, both his hands started to blaze with blue chakra and continue to place his left over Lee's chest.

"You look familiar."

"I was once apart of the Hidden Leaf. Like Kabuto, I am a Sound-nin placed to spy on your precious village."

"I can't believe such a small gem like this is so valuable. This is supposed to save an entire village?" said Mizuki. "Something is definitely wrong with Tsunade." The gems were currently in his hand.

"So you don't trust Orochimaru-sama?" Tayuya asked. "If he says the gem is precious then it is. Remember that if you wish to live long in the Hidden Sound."

Tayuya is one of Orochimaru's Four Heavenly Bodyguard. Instead of protecting Orochimaru along with her three companions, she was ordered to look after Mizuki.

"Yes ma'am."

"Orochimaru-sama hasn't been very happy these days. It's because that brat Sasuke ran away."

"Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Saskue left the Hidden Sound a couple of months ago. We still don't have any word of his whereabouts. He was to be Orochimaru-sama's next vessel. When the master is angry, us servants are the ones in trouble."

Mizuki nodded.

"He has become very powerful under Orochimaru-sama's tutelage. Someone like that wouldn't have stuck around for that kind of fate. Besides, Sasuke's main goal in life is to kill his older brother. Being Orochimaru-sama's vessel would certainly complicate his plans." Tayuya didn't say anything but she too wouldn't accept such a fate. However, with her skill level and limitations, she doubts she would be chosen further as a possible vessel. That is unless she was the only body he had access to at that moment. "The success of this mission might cheer him up. If you fail this mission, I wouldn't bother coming back to see him."

Mizuki nodded again. He knew the risk well and was not bothered by it. His thirst for power was big and only Orochimaru is able to quench it.

"Staying here any longer will endanger our plans. I already ran into some complications. The prisoner was well in my grasp but someone got in my way."

"Well, we're ready for departure as soon as you give the word. Who was it that stood in your way?"

"I don't know. It's some bastard who carries a badass sword that ignited my dolls on fire."

"He has a badass sword? Are there other descriptions? Does he have yellow hair and blue eyes?"

"I wasn't close enough to him to see his eyes but his hair was definitely yellow."

"Uzumaki Naruto of the House of Blades. That's probably whom you saw. The sword he carries is called Fireseal. Rumors have it that it could somehow project fire. I thought he had left the village."

"Apparently he didn't." Suddenly, she hears noise coming from coming outside the tower. It sounded as if someone was climbing up.

Tenten was climbing up to the tower. She has forgotten how much it looked like a maze inside. She didn't have much time to explore since the lower floors were covered with guards. There were too many close moments that she decided to find another way in. There doesn't seem to be any way in besides entering from the top floor.

It was then that Tenten heard someone playing the flute again. The world suddenly spun around her and monsters starting emerging from the tower's bricks. She tried to muster everything she had to evade the monster's grasp while trying to stick on the side of the tower. "Genjitsu?"

Genjitsu users can attack their opponent by hitting one of the body's five senses. In this case, the enemy was attacking through her hearing. I have to break the genjitsu, she thought to herself. She took a kunai out from her pouch and stabbed herself on the shoulder. The jolt of pain disrupted the hold the enemy's chakra had over her brain. The pain had also momentarily disrupted her concentration and she could not mold charka. Before her body started to fall, Tenten quickly brought out a grappling hook and latched it onto the tower's ledge. She then tied the end of the rope around her waist. Not a second later, the enemy's genjitsu attacked her again. If it wasn't for the rope tied around her, she would have fallen due the relentless attack.

Mizuki was impressed with Tayuya's display of power. He noticed that his partner had changed her flute's melody. The music became fast and more destructive. It sounded chaotic as if Tayuya went mad. As he looked down the tower, he saw that Tenten's expression of fear had now changed into agonizing pain. Tayuya's music does not only cause illusion but also physical pain. The trick was chaotic sound and the charka embedded into it. Even he was starting to get affected by the music even if it was not meant to attack him. Mizuki placed his hands together and gathered his charka to his ears in hope it would hamper the invading force. This method of defense was taught to him by Tayuya in case this scenario happened.

No wonder she is one of Orochimaru's bodyguards, he thought.

Tayuya continued playing her flute until an explosion was heard coming from within the tower. The shock was totally unexpected and alarming that she stopped her attack. "What was that?" she asked while turning her head towards Mizuki.

The first thought that came to Mizuki's mind was that he should not at all cost fail Orochimaru. He quickly opens the chamber door and peered out to observe. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see anything from where he was standing. "I'll go see what is happening."

"Don't go anywhere," Tayuya commanded. "Baka, did you forget that you have the gem with you? Stay put where I can see you. Yorai is still down there somewhere. Just send him a message to look into what caused that explosion." After taking a few deep breaths, she turned her attention back to the Leaf-nin that was still hanging by the tower.

There were now other noises that caught her attention. As she looked below passed Tenten, she saw numerous people running out of the tower shouting. The villagers that were held prisoner was escaping. "Someone has freed the villagers. Where are Yorai and the other Sound Ninjas?"

The explosion caught Yorai's attention and he quickly went to see what caused it after getting Tayuya's message. To his surprise, the villagers were running out of the tower. As he asked the guards why they were letting the villagers go, he was told that it was orders of the governor. The mayor of the village came to Yorai and pleaded for them to help him. Turns out the governor caught word of what's happening and has sent the mayor orders to cease his actions. By tomorrow, troops would arrive to escort him away. Yorai got annoyed of his ranting and struck him down. The mayor after starting now was no longer a useful puppet.

Yorai ran outside and called out to Tayuya whom seem to be observing from tower window. "Tayuya! The soldiers are letting the villages go by orders of the governor! The governor had overwritten the mayor's orders. It's time for us to split!"

"Who the hell is on guard duty? Where are the other ninjas!"

"I don't know! Mizuki sent out to hunt down that runaway ninja and they never came back!"

"Mizuki?" Tayuya repeated. Tayuya didn't like this one bit. A lot of things are happening so sudden that it doesn't give her enough time to think properly. "Pack up! We're going to leave immediately!"

Another explosion occurred from somewhere inside the tower. This time it waked the unconscious Tenten. She instantly saw Tayuya as her eyes open. It wasn't the Sound-nin's face that she was focusing on but rather the flute she was holding. She was the one that has been trailing me, Tenten thought. She swung towards the tower wall and pushes off with her feet to propel upward.

Unfortunately, Tayuya was aware of what Tenten was trying to do and threw a kunai to cut the rope. However, Tenten no longer needs the rope for support since she was now airborne. With the flute beside Tayuya's lips, she began to play another tune that knocked the Leaf-nin upside down.

Tenten's vision blurred once more as she was hit with another genjitsu. Her mind was now trapped inside an imaginary world. She couldn't resume control of her body even if she forced herself. Even in that imaginary world, Tenten could tell her body was falling. Tears actually formed and fell below her eyes from her state of helplessness. When she needed someone to save her, there was no one in sight once again. Lee was being held prisoner, her sensei was back in the Leaf, while Neji was still never around when she needs him.

Suddenly, the tower wall beneath Tenten ripped open from another explosion. From that gap, Naruto flew outward and caught her in his arms. Tenten instinctively held him tight now even knowing who he was. Seeing that she was secure, Naruto stabbed his sword into the tower wall which stopped their fall. He then swung up and landed safely on the flat side of his sword.

Tayuya stops her genjitsu attack as the change of events surprised her.

Tenten's vision started to clear up. The first sight she saw was the ground floor about eighteen feet below. Once again, she let her instincts take over and grasp whatever it was that kept her from falling. As she looked around, she found herself being cradled in someone's arm. As her head continous to move up the person's body, it turned out unexpectedly that her savior is Naruto.

"Hi," the blond mercenary greeted.

"Hi," Tenten greeted back. She was still in a state of shock. It was the only words she could think of at the mean time after a near death experience. "I thought you said you had other things to do?"

"I did."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"I sent a message to the governor and told him about the situation. I had a chance to work with him a couple of times and he trusts me. I left you because I was waiting for his reply. Moments after I got his word, I went ahead and freed the villagers. Enforcements should arrive tomorrow to help clear this mess. This country's Daiyamo has probably caught word of this by now. The mayor won't be seeing much sunrise after this treason."

Tenten took in what Naruto said and started to feel bad for mistrusting him. "How come you didn't take me with you or tell me what you were going to do?"

"You showed signs of peak exhaustion. Taking you with me would slow me down. The person playing the flute wasn't the only one sent to find you. I had to dispose them. You should have used this time to rest but it seems you're not taking care of your body well."

The blonde's words hit a rock. "Slow you down? Like I said before, I don't need your help."

"Enough. While the enemy is still in a state of confusion, let's go and finish this."

Before Tayuya could play her flute again, Naruto tossed Tenten up and did a back flip. His kick sent up a blade of wind that cut through the Sound-nin's pink hair. "Wind Kicks – Slicing Wind!" As Naruto finished his flip, he made it so that his feet missed landing on the handle so he could fall and grasp it instead. This time, he pulled the sword out from the wall and used his feet to propel upward. While propelling upwared, the blond mercenary caught Tenten once more and started running on the side of the tower with incredible speed.

"How dare you throw me like that you jerk?" Tenten asked angrily.

"Get ready," said Naruto with a serious tone. When he estimated to be ten feet from the window, he threw Tenten up to have her distract their assailants.

As soon as Tenten got to the window, she quickly grabbed four kunais and placed them between her knuckles with her right hand while the left held four shurikens. The weapons wet sailing through the air trying to hit Tayuya and the traitorous Mizuki.

Tayuya quickly went onto defense. She swirled her flute around, creating a mini shield at the process. This managed to knock away the incoming attack. Mizuki was not so lucky since he had no idea of what was going on outside the window. A kunai caught him in the leg while a shuriken was lodged on his left shoulder. He cried in pained before running out of the room.

"Where do you think you're going bastard!" Tayuya was pissed that he left her to fight alone. "Coward! You won't make it in the Hidden Sound." When she looked at the window again, Tenten and Naruto had finally made their way in. "It looks like everything is up to me."

Naruto gauged the pink haired Sound-nin's movements. When he read her body was about to make a move he quickly got into distance and raised the Fireseal by her face.

"Oh ho, it looks like the House of Blades does have some skill after all."

"Just move an inch and you'll get burned. You were the one at the cemetery weren't you?"

"What are you doing here? This has absolutely nothing to do with you."

"Your marionettes attacked me. That is all I needed to know. Don't start telling me it was an accident. It just only proves that your jitsus sucks."

Tayuya was pissed off by that comment. No one is allowed to say that. She quickly bent backwards and made a sweep at him. Unfortunately, her foot connected only to the flat blade of the Fireseal as Naruto drove his sword into the ground and uses it as a shield.

Naruto swung the fireseal only to have the Sound-nin evade the attack. Suddenly, his senses went bonkers as the enemy rolled back and got back on her feet. Tayuya began to play her flute again. Before Tenten and him gets stuck inside a genjitsu, Naruto swung his sword and to create flames in hopes it would interrupt the music.

"Burn!"

"We'll play later," said Tayuya as she jumped outside the room and made her getaway.

Without a word, Naruto ran after her.

Inside the tower was really like a maze. Both of them were leaping around using the wall to propel themselves. When he heard the music being played again, he stopped on the wall where his feet was attached to and quickly struck it with force. A loud sound emitted from the impact which interrupted the music's flow. If only for a short time, Naruto was safe from the genjitsu and hurried his way forward.

Because Naruto mastered the Wind Kicks, his speed was abnormally quick. In a couple of seconds, he had already caught up with the pink haired Sound-nin. He leapt over her and kicked behind him. Tayuya quickly evaded just in time before her head was chopped off. She took several deep breathes since she was surprised on how fast he caught up with her.

_There is someone else here. Chakra level and heart rate suggests that person is a fighter. Whose side is that person on? Where did that Leaf Kunoichi go?_

Naruto's question was quickly answered as the newcomer launched a shuriken at him. He used the Fireseal to bat the weapon away and continue to fight with Tayuya who was using her flute to block the attacks. Seconds later, the flute started to crack from the continuous barrage of the Fireseal Sword.

Tayuya jumped away. Her flute was called the Iron Flute because it was thick and heavy. Never in a million years did she think it could be broken. Not only was the Fireseal tougher, its wielder had incredible strength. Her arms started to hurt and her shoulders felt like it was dislocated. It was at this point that her level one curse activated.

The blond mercenary's eyes widen as he saw his opponent's figure change. Weird markings started to appear around her body. That wasn't the only thing that was different. He can also feel her chakra getting stronger.

_I guess this means I don't have to hold back._

Tayuya charged at him with her flute but stopped after sensing danger. Naruto swung his sword again. She quick moved her flute up to block the attack. The blow was so tremendous that she was blown away by the force. She landed on her back hard. Nothing seems to be broken besides her Iron Flute. Somehow, Tayuya could feel like the mercenary was still holding back.

It was at this time that Yorai interrupted the fight. He leaped and landed next to the fallen Sound-nin.

"You're late bastard."

"Where is Mizuki?"

"That coward ran off. Remind me to cut his throat the next time I see him."

Yorai then focused his concentration on Naruto. He has seen the man in action long enough to know the difficult fight ahead of him. "Does Mizuki still have the gem?"

Tayuya nodded.

"Who is this guy?"

"He came with the Leaf-nins. Let's take him on."

"Are you asking for my help?" Yorai joked. That statement proves it even more that this guy is trouble. Tayuya has never asked for helped before to the best of his knowledge.

The two sprang forward. Each of them started in sync. Yorai attack attacked the top portion of the enemy while Tayuya was aiming for the bottom half. This was an attack pattern mostly used against stronger opponents. However, Naruto defended beautifully.

Yorai and Tayuya were defiantly capable fighters. They were both getting harder for Naruto to deal with. Yorai was sapping Naruto's charka when he is in close proximity while the Sound Kunoichi attacks his legs to make him unbalanced. A few seconds later, Naruto started to speed up his pace. His opponents were now the ones who are starting to have a hard time. It is a common practice at the House of Blades to examine the opponents' form and learn from it and a way to counter it before really bringing out your true skill.

In a couple of seconds, Naruto struck Yorai hard on the face and elsewhere. With the Fireseal in the middle of them, Yorai is always kept away at a distance, rendering his special skill useless. He began using his wind kicks against Tayuya, which has a good balance of between short and long range distance.

As the two Sound-nins surrounded him, they began to charge him again. Naruto jumped up and spun around like a top. When the opponents were in range, he swung his Fireseal and caught them both. If it wasn't for the Fireseal's blade being flat, Naruto would have sliced them instead of giving them broken ribs. In all, Naruto should have been satisfied with his performance but he knows he lacked something.

_Damn, I'm still not able to bring out the full power of the Fireseal. I could only bring out fire with only two stances where as the Iceseal and Thunderseal could be used magnificently under my brothers' hands._

Yorai's eyes were on Tayuya. He can spot her appearance literally changing. She was transforming into her second level curse. "Don't change. It's useless. Your flute broke which takes away your best and main offensive."

Tayuya gritted her teeth and started to revert back to her normal form. She is handicap without her flute.

Naruto's ear picked up another heartbeat coming. He recognized the heartbeat and whom it belongs to. It didn't belong to Tenten because she was still walking somewhere on the top floors.

Seeing how Naruto was being distracted, the two Sound-nins quickly used warping jitsu and left.

Naruto stood still and placed the Fireseal back onto his belt. He waited there until the approaching figure finally arrived. It was none other than Mizuki.

At first, Mizuki was startled at seeing Naruto but soon dropped those feelings. A Chuunin of the Hidden Leaf can't lose to a mercenary who didn't went through the same training he had. A hint of rage started to boil inside him.

"If you had left like you were supposed to, I would have gotten the life I was dreaming of," said Mizuki. "You ruined everything."

"I'm known to do that sometimes. Now, surrender and come with me quietly. I won't harm you unless necessary." Naruto began to walk closer to him. "There isn't anywhere to run now that you're exposed to me."

For some reason, Mizuki felt afraid again. He could feel a high level of confidence coming off from Naruto. His own confidence was diminishing. "Do you want the gem too? You can't have it. It's my ticket to power along side with Orochimaru. Do you know how long I plotted to get where I am today?"

"What is so special about the gem?"

"You don't know?" Mizuki leapt out the window but was quickly being chased after by the blond mercenary. The two were running down the side of the tower. One misstep will cause them to fall into certain doom. It was at this time that he took out a vial containing a potion he made from the formula Orochimaru gave him years ago. Before he left the Leaf, he had stolen some necessary ingredients to prepare this awesome drink that was promised to enhance his abilities.

With Mizuki's speed, Naruto didn't find any bit of difficulty chasing him. In a few seconds, he would have the enemy in his hands.

Mizuki's heartbeat suddenly changed drastically. Not only was his heart changing, it felt as if every cell was transforming. Naruto's hearing picked up the body's abrupt change but doesn't know what it means. It was then that Mizuki growled in pain as he started morphing. Naruto stopped his pursuit as they landed. Mizuki's body began to change in a more drastic way then he has seen with Tayuya.

Mizuki's body grew and hair seemed to sprout everywhere. In seconds, he had completely morphed into a hybrid of a tiger and man. "So this is the power that Orochimaru promised me. This is exactly what I am looking for."

_His chakra level increased._

"Uzumaki Naruto! Let me test this ultimate body against you!" Mizuki waited no farther and attacked. He was very happy that his power had multiplied beyond his dreams. However, his happiness came short as he found himself not being able to land a single blow.

Mastery of the Wind Kicks had made Naruto very light on his feet. He gracefully avoided each attack, making the enemy seem incompetent. Naruto was now ready to change tactics. He started moving faster and closer to Mizuki. Every time when he was close, he would search for the gem. When a fist was coming his way, he would jump, flip, or angle his body away and resume his search. He was so fast that it seems like there was ten Narutos fighting against one Mizuki.

"Stand still so I could hit you!" Mizuki yelled in anger. That temperament seemed light compared to after Naruto snatched the gem away. "Give that back to me!" Mizuki charged at Naruto but once again was unsuccessful. He did manage to brake through the tower wall and accidentally knock over some wine barrels that were kept there.

Naruto looked at the gem in his hand and wonder why people were fighting over its possession. While he was in deep thought, Mizuki had managed to get close to him but was instantly kicked aside from a blow to the chin.

_His speed increased._

That blow to the chin really hurt as Mizuki had trouble standing. He had momentarily lost control of his body as he was feeling numb. "How can this be? I am supposed to be stronger than you."

"Things don't always go the way we want them. I already gave you a chance but you turned it down. Guess what I'm going to do now."

Mizuki laughed. "It's not over yet." The short break gave his body enough time to recover. He charged again wildly, letting his animal instinct take control.

"Wind Kicks – Slicing Wind!" Naruto sent a combination of front and swing kicks that literally cuts through the air. Mizuki was enraged further after seeing the sight of his own blood. He was bleeding like a fountain from the multiple deep cuts on his body. Mizuki went ahead and charged blindly. Naruto saw the attack coming a mile away and did a roundhouse kick which creating another blade of wind.

The traitorous Leaf-nin stepped from the sudden jolt of pain. He knew something was wrong with him even with his eyes closed. When he reopens his eyes, he saw Naruto. But no matter how many times he tried to swipe away the enemy with his claws, nothing happened. Another jolt of pain sent his head down. From there, he discovered both his arms had been severed.

Mizuki knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He already has lost a lot of blood. Memories of his life began flashing in front of his eyes. With his hands gone, so was his jitsu and dream of becoming strong. He couldn't help but laugh at his despair. "Don't think you won just yet. As a safety precaution in case Orochimaru betrays me, I have people that would spread word of your gem. Soon every Hidden Village will know about it. The Leaf will be in further trouble. As you can see, I have the last laugh in this."

"The gem?"

Mizuki's laughter died out as he remembered that Naruto didn't know the value of the gem. "You will have to find out about the gem at the same time as the rest of the world." People say that when someone is about to die, they have their entire life replay in their mind. It was at this point that he remembered something dark.

"I have seen your face before in my dreams so many times," said Mizuki. "No, it wasn't in my dreams. I saw you in my past. I recognize the marks on your cheeks now. How can I forget about those whisker lines? You are that demon fox that killed my parents. So you are still alive."

"You know that about me?"

"Of course I do. That is no mistaking it. My life is only one of the few hundreds that you have ruined. And here I thought that I was finished off by someone worthy. But it turns out to be the demon Kyuubi who has came back to finish the job."

"I'm not a demon. That demon fox is sealed inside me. He and I are different, separate entities."

"That is what you say at least. How can I trust something like you? Rumors have it that you were killed. Everyone was overjoyed of the news of your demise. We might have even had a parade or two if I recalled."

"A parade? They would go that far?"

"I might be exaggerating a bit on that detail, but you should get what I'm saying. As you can see, no loves you in the Hidden Leaf. With you gone, we could ensure our well-being. We didn't have to worry each day that Kyuubi would be loose again in our lives." Mizuki tried to use whatever breaths he had last to walk towards Naruto. He got close to about a foot away until he stopped. His body is no longer able to move no matter how much he commanded it. He looked at Naruto straight into his eyes and saw the same sadness he felt when he was young. A sadness he felt before he became twisted as he is today.

Since his breaths can't move his body anymore, Mizuki decided to use it condescend Naruto. "This is your fate. You will never be loved by anyone. Never!"

"Shut up!" Naruto yelled in anger. He raised his right arm and gathered Mizuki's blood into his palm. The Cloud Palms is able to manipulate anything liquid from water, wine, and blood. One can see blood gathered from the ground and even straight from Mizuki's wounds. Soon enough, a perfect sphere of blood formed. "Cloud Palms – Bullet!" The blond shoved his arm forward at Mizuki and shot the sphere. At the moment of impact, Mizuki was killed instantly and was sent back a good distance away. Cloud Palms - Bullet goes into the body and destroys the internal organs before exiting from the back. A pool of blood is seen flowing behind the lifeless body.

Naruto watches the aftermath of his technique and was not amused by it. He found no satisfaction with killing the enemy. He clenched his fist tightly as anger build inside him. Before he knows it, he foxed out into his level one Kyuubi mode. A monstrous roar was heard throughout the area. The truth behind his anger was not because he didn't make his enemy suffer. It was rather due to the fact that a small part of him believes what Mizuki said. Everyday, he fears that he will be resented, unloved, and not acknowledged by others.

_Is that why the Hidden Leaf abandoned me? Is Mizuki right? Will people always think of me as a demon instead of who I really am?_

Tenten searched around the towers as fast as she could. She finally found her friends locked up in a cell. Before she could open the door, she immediately felt a wave of immense chakra rushing in and wrapping itself around her. She saw no such thing as she surveyed the area. She has never felt this level of chakra before other than with Lee and Gai-sensei when they open their gates. However, there was a big difference between her friends' charka and the one she currently felt. The one she felt now was evil. Tenten cannot pinpoint where the charka was coming from or who it belongs to. It seems to be coming from all directions.

Tenten tried to fight against the charka's magnetizing grasp but failed to do so. She could not stop thinking about it. As it appeared from no where, it disappeared just the same. She was now able to free her friends from prison. Even as she checked on everyone's condition, she could no stop thinking whose chakra that belongs to.


End file.
